Tai chi

What is it?

Tai chi is a Chinese martial art consisting of exercise, breathing, and meditation. Tai chi is a specific form of Qi gong.

A standardized form of tai chi, called tai chi chih, which has only 20 moves is practiced in western countries.

Tai chi is used for improving general health, balance, and digestion; preventing falls; strengthening and conditioning muscles; and promoting relaxation. It is also used for treating osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, pain, depression, stress, and fatigue.

Tai chi is not regulated in any way and there are no specific standards for training. Practitioners of tai chi are not considered health professionals in North America. However, in China, tai chi is often practiced along with conventional modern medicine.

Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...

Preventing falls. Some research shows that tai chi might help improve balance and reduce falls in older adults, including people with Parkinson's disease. But other research did not find that it helped.

Tai chi is an exercise of low-to-moderate intensity that involves breathing, meditation, and fluid physical movements. There is not enough known about tai chi to understand how it might work for medical conditions.

There are no known safety concerns. Side effects have not been described in any studies evaluating tai chi.

Special Precautions & Warnings:

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn’t enough information to know whether tai chi is safe during pregnancy and breast-feeding. If you are pregnant, check with your healthcare provider before starting tai chi or any other exercise program.

The appropriate or safe use of tai chi depends on several factors such as the condition being treated or the person administering the treatment. Be sure to seek and follow relevant directions from your physician or other healthcare professional before using this treatment.

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